Crazy Caribbean

St. Maarten / St. Martin is a great Caribbean island to visit. We traveled there in October of 2005, and had a great time. We stayed at the Great Bay Hotel and Casino on the ocean located in Philipsburg, right near the town's shopping area. The hotel staff was really great and we created a friendly relationship with them while we were there. Great Bay Hotel, is an all inclusive hotel, so everything was at our disposal and we really liked that. Everyone is so free and open to everyone that the environment is truly like being on a paradise island. St. Maarten is the Dutch side of the island and St. Martin is the French side of the island. On the French side of the island there are a lot of nude beaches... expect anything. The people seem to be more relaxed on this island because the governing is so different. The tax laws and everything is controlled by the people there as well. The whole island is so beautiful and tranquil that you just can't believe it. The islands of Anquilla, Saint Barts, and Saba are just a boat ride away. The Beaches in Anquilla are covered in white sand. St. Barts is French, with shops of finer taste. Saba has a milder mood and beach. These islands are celebrity getaways. Hopping around from one island to another creates different experiences with all of the island people.

Quick Tips:

When you fly to any island in the Caribbean, it is best to try to fly directly, or at least on one airline. The transferring from one main airline, to the island hopping airlines can be stressful. The smaller airlines overbook their passengers and this can cause you a delay, and possibly an overnight stay midway home. Also, it is best to travel with just the essentials because customs is a real process, and you can get really worn out from this. When you travel nowadays, you have to really be prepared for the search because they do check through everything, and you may even have to take off your shoes and jewelery. It's not the worst thing if you are aware of this beforehand. Just don't take everything that you own when you leave on your trip.

Best Way To Get Around:

St. Maarten / St. Martin has two sides to it, so the best way to see both sides of the island is to rent a car. The taxi fare there is .00 one way, so it can get expensive to go back and forth and around if you are going to go a lot. The cars are small and you can get a good rate for the whole time that you are there if you do a rental. The excursions, such as horseback riding, snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming with the dolphins, boating, etc., are near by or are not too far away. If you are going to do a lot... rent a car. You can also rent scooters to get around if you aren't afraid of traveling up and down steep hills on the highway. The food everywhere is very good and the island people are so friendly. You just have to ask where is a good place to eat and they will direct you to a good restaurant.

Great Bay Hotel and Casino, was as I expected. It was very much as it was described on the site and is an all-inclusive hotel accommodation. Everything was at our disposal. Our room was poolside, with a great view of the ocean where we could see the cruise ships dock. Our room was very nice and clean. We could enjoy many of the activities from our balcony while viewing the sunrise or the sunset. You could eat on the open terrace or in the hotel's restaurant. The casino was open to the public, and a lot of fun. I won!

Each night, the hotel would have a theme night. You could participate in the theme activity for fun and prizes. All-inclusive means all drinks, as well as the food, are just for the asking. The cups are small, but if you know what to ask for it's enough. The music is always playing and people are always up. The hotel has an open atmosphere, so the mood is very relaxed (not as if you were closed are separated from everything). There is also a spa on the premises, with workout equipment available if you must, along with all of the good food and drink. Great Bay was very much to my liking, mostly because of the people and the staff. I hope that if you have the opportunity to go there that you find it the same.